


'Shards In The Void'

by Ma_Rae



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Caring Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Explosions, Hope, Hurt Spock (Star Trek), Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, Medical Emergency, Medical Procedures, Rescue, Shrapnel - Freeform, Sleep Deprivation, Spinal Injury, Stranded, Vulcan physiology, mysterious object
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29510262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ma_Rae/pseuds/Ma_Rae
Summary: The Enterprise encounters a mysterious object floating in space. Unsure if it's safe to beam aboard the ship, Spock and Kirk don their EV suits to take a closer look. Their outing soon takes an unexpected turn.
Relationships: Spock/Nyota Uhura
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	'Shards In The Void'

**Author's Note:**

> This one took me over a month to write. The storyline takes place after the events of 'Strings Of Fate', but can also be a good standalone fiction. I'm quite happy with it. I hope you enjoy it.

Jagged, lustreless metal shards in the black void of space. That is how he nearly died. No, he _did_ die; for almost five minutes.

Yes, he had indeed touched the hand of death in the past. He even fell into its icy embrace once, only to be sent back to the world of the living one week after. Fought hard he did, when meeting the face of death once more; and he had arisen triumphant, reborn, renewed. Again, he had defeated death; however, much like those previous times, he was not alone. He was never truly alone. In those battles, he had the help and the love and the hope of his friends, his family. Always there, they were, to pull him free from the grips of peril, of death.

Such is the way of deep space exploration; there will forever be a risk associated with such a feat. One would be foolish to think that an undertaking like this wouldn’t have its inherent dangers.

This is how the latest chapter in his story played out.

~ ~

As always, the Captain is eager to fulfil his ever-growing need to ‘stretch his legs’, so to speak. He gladly takes any chance he can get to lead an away team and beam down, or take a shuttle, to whichever new, unexplored, and sometimes uninhabited planet that the Enterprise encounters. Such opportunities can come around either quite frequently, or not very often.

One such occasion has indeed presented itself; not in the form of an unexplored planet, however, but a rather unusual object floating lonesome in the vastness of space.

The object had been picked up by the ship’s scanners; yet, details of its construct or purpose have not been determined. Naturally piqued, Spock, unable to curb his scientific curiosity, wants to study the object further by taking a closer look. Due to the unknown nature of the structure, he has recommended assessing it in person before it can be deemed safe to beam aboard the ship. Kirk, of course, wholeheartedly agrees with his First Officer’s proposal, and implies that he should ‘tag along’; Captain’s privilege, one would call it. The two don their EV suits and, once the ship is in position, make their way out towards the object.

These particular EV suits were designed for a task such as this: with an oxygen tank across the shoulders; and small thrusters at the heels and wrists, there is no need for a tether. There are, however, hooks at the utility belt to facilitate one, in the unlikely yet possible event of an emergency.

As the pair approach the structure, they begin to grasp its size and shape. With a height that surpasses that of an average human; its upright triangular prism appearance; a dark shade of gunmetal in colour; and a lighter band that runs right around its centre, it is indeed an unusual and curious sight to set one’s eyes upon. It goes without saying that this is the nature of the mission; new discoveries, whatever they may be.

Spock, with tricorder in hand, proceeds to scan the structure; whilst Kirk, who is several metres away, acquaints himself with the manoeuvrability of his suit. As his friend works in silence, with the Enterprise looming behind them, the Captain takes a moment to admire her sheer majesty.

“She really is a fine lady, isn’t she?”, the Captain’s voice breaks the silence of the suit’s comm systems.

“Captain?”.

“The Enterprise, Spock. Even _you’ve_ got to admit that she’s a hell of a nice ship.”.

“The Enterprise is indeed of sound construction.”. The Vulcan doesn’t even look up or pause his work as he speaks, continuing to dart around the structure. He is still trying to figure out, exactly, what this thing in front of him is.

“Come on, Spock, enjoy the view. How often do we get to see her like this? I mean, just look at those nacelles, the way the pylons have that slight curve...She’s just...beautiful.”.

To appease his captain, or perhaps to silence him so he can concentrate on the task at hand, Spock peeks his head around from the other side of the structure.

“Yes, Captain. It... she...is rather aesthetically pleasing.”.

“See? That wasn’t _so_ bad was it? Might as well enjoy ourselves while we can. Besides, these suits are pretty fun.”.

“I am not out here to ‘have fun’, Captain.”, unsurprisingly, Spock has gone back to work, still intent on finding out anything about this strange object in front of him.

"Suit yourself, Spock. Found anything yet?”.

“According to the readings from my tricorder, the structure consists of a metal alloy I am not familiar with. I have not yet determined its origin.”.

“Alright...hopefully, we’ll get more answers. I'll just hang back and let you - "

"[zzzt]aptain, I am picking up something unusual. [tzz]eems to be a [ztzz]ower surge[zztz].". He has now moved, and is once again in front of the structure.

Indeed, the structure's status has changed; just moments ago, its centre band was merely a dull, silvery-white shade. Now, it sports a pulsating luminescent blue hue.

"Spock, you're breaking up...what's happening?", Kirk's voice is of a much more serious tone now; filled with concern for his friend.

The Commander has turned around, and is now facing his friend, with his back to the object. For reasons unknown to him, the oxygen from his EV suit is being drained; his eyes beginning to widen, and he is now gasping for air. Trying to get away from the structure, he is instead being pulled back toward it. The lights in his helmet begin to flicker.

"[tzz]uit [ztzz] malfunctio[zztzzzzzzztzz]...". The comm system is overcome by static, and Spock is near suffocation.

“Kirk to Enterprise: Sulu, there’s something wrong with Spock’s EV suit. Can you beam him back to the ship?”.

“Negative, sir. He’s too close to the object; it’s interfering with the transporter. If you can pull him away, hopefully we can get a lock on him.”.

“I’m on it.”. The Captain is determined to help his friend.

Just moments after Kirk begins to move closer to his crewmate, the structure explodes in a burst of light; metal shards darting here and there, only to end up floating in the vacuum of space. The subsequent shockwave propels Spock forward as he begins to lose consciousness, the helmet of his EV suit now pitch black.

As the shockwave hits Kirk, he too is pushed backwards; his own EV suit beginning to malfunction. With his helmet lights flickering and his oxygen draining, he notices the droplets of green blood floating behind his friend.

_Oh no._

“[tzz]ulu...Spock’s hurt...[ztzz]...get us...[zzzt] out of here! [zzt]”. Now the Captain is gasping for air.

Only a few minutes after Kirk has fallen into unconsciousness, a shuttle approaches. The hatch opens and Sulu, in an EV suit with a tether in hand, uses the bottom edge of the open doorway to propel himself toward his crewmates. Positioning himself behind them, he attaches the tether to Spock’s suit, then Kirk’s, and gently guides the two towards the shuttle. Noticing the small metallic shards that now riddle the Commander’s back, with a much larger piece protruding from just above the hip, Sulu exercises caution as the trio approach the open doorway of the shuttle. Due to this larger shard’s position, and for fear of a spinal injury, the helmsman carefully lowers Spock onto his side as the hatch closes.

Once the hatch is locked shut, Sulu takes off his helmet, removes the helmets of his two oxygen-deprived shipmates, and hurriedly places oxygen masks onto both of them. After being without oxygen for just over five minutes, Kirk is the first to regain consciousness, with a deep gasp and dry spluttering.

“Thanks, Sulu.”, he croaks, laying on his back, the mask still over his mouth.

“How’s Spock?”.

“Still not breathing, sir.”.

The moment Kirk hears those words, he shoots up, ripping the mask off his face as he does this, and crawls the few centimetres to his friend. It has been well over ten minutes since Spock last drew breath, and the Captain is growing anxious.

_Come on, Spock._

At long last, after fifteen minutes without oxygen, the Vulcan meets his first breath with the most painfully long inhale, followed by heaving and wheezing and choking.

“Easy, buddy.”, Kirk places a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“...thank you...Captain.”, the Commander croaks, with the mask still on his face, and still catching his breath.

“It’s not me you should be thanking, Spock. Sulu’s the one who got us out of there.”.

“You...have my...thanks, Mr Sulu.”.

“Anytime, Commander.”, replies the helmsman. He turns to his captain. “Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.”.

“It’s alright, Sulu. We’re still glad you came.”, reassures Kirk.

“Indeed.”, Spock grunts as he makes an attempt to move.

“Sir, don’t move.”, warns the helmsman. “You’ve got some shrapnel in your back. Looks like one piece might have hit your spine.”.

“Then, I would...assume,” begins the Vulcan, “that is the reason...why I cannot move...my legs.”.

“We’ll be back on the Enterprise in a few minutes. Doctor McCoy will fix you up.”. Kirk tries to mask the mild concern in his voice.

As his captain speaks those words, Sulu makes his way back to the pilot console and taps a series of buttons on the interface.

“Uh, sir...”, he utters, “that might be a problem.”.

“What is it, Sulu?”, the captain approaches his crewmate.

“The Enterprise...is gone.”.

“What do you mean gone?”.

“She was there a few minutes ago...I tried to lay in a course, but she’s just vanished.”.

Kirk’s face becomes even more taut with worry; worry for his wounded friend on the floor. Even Spock’s brow begins to furrow at this latest development.

“Do a full sensor sweep.”, orders the Captain. “She can’t have gotten far.”.

“Aye, sir.”. The helmsman hastily gets to work.

“Sorry, Spock,”, Kirk turns to his friend, “you might have to wait a bit longer before we can get you help.”.

“A rather...unforseen obstacle, Captain.”, replies the Vulcan; his voice still raspy, muffled behind the mask.

“Hang in there, buddy. We’ll find our ship.”. The Captain is trying his best to reassure his injured friend; and still attempting, in vain, to hide his growing concern.

~ ~

“What the hell just happened?”. Doctor McCoy is now in command, albeit temporarily, in the absence of Kirk, Spock and Sulu, respectively.

Frantic, the remaining bridge crew are trying to ascertain what had just transpired.

“Looks like the explosion might have caused some kind of spatial anomaly, sir.”, informs the young officer currently positioned at the Science station.

“Do we even know where we are?”, queries the doctor.

“According to scans, we’re several light years from our previous position.”.

Before McCoy can even utter a single word, Scotty’s voice breaks through the bridge’s comm system.

‘ENGINEERING TO BRIDGE.’

“Go ahead, Scotty.”, the doctor almost sounds exasperated.

‘WHATEVER HIT US HAS DAMAGED THE WARP CORE.’

“Can we still get out of here?”.

‘AYE, BUT YOU WON’T HAVE WARP DRIVE UNTIL THE CORE IS REPAIRED. I CAN GIVE YOU IMPULSE, BUT THAT’S IT.’

“How long do you think it’ll take to get back to where we were?”, McCoy asks the young Science officer.

“By my calculations, sir, it could be days.”.

The doctor’s face turns grim at those words. This was not the news he wanted to hear.

“Damn. We know one of them is wounded; and depending on how bad he’s hurt, he might not have days.”.

~ ~

“How’re you doing, Spock?”. Kirk checks up on his friend, trying to remain optimistic.

“As... you would...say...’hanging...in there’.”.

“Did you find out anything else about the object back there?”.

“Not...with the...tricorder. However, judging...by its...behaviour, I would...conclude that it was...a mine of some type.”.

“Do you think there could be more out there?”.

“That is...quite possible.”.

“Well, let’s hope we don’t run into any more of them.”.

“Agreed, Captain.”.

It has been several hours since their rescue, and his breathing has become somewhat erratic, every exhale sporting a mild wheeze; every inhale uneasy, as if bringing with it a twinge of pain.

_That doesn’t sound good._

The Captain is far from a medical professional; he doesn’t need to be to know that something is very wrong with his crewmate. As the blood drips from the multitude of wounds that pepper Spock’s back, resulting in small green puddles forming on the shuttle floor, Kirk begins to feel faint. Not from the sight of the blood, however, but from his previous bout of oxygen-deprivation. From the corner of his eye, Sulu spots his Captain’s unsteadiness and springs into action, grabbing the oxygen mask from earlier.

“I’m fine, Sulu. Just a little light-headed.”, Kirk pushes the mask away as Sulu tries to place it over his mouth.

“Captain...Mr Sulu...cannot...simultaneously...tend to us... _and_ fly the...shuttle.”, rasps the wounded Vulcan.

The Captain, of course, submits to his First Officer’s reasoning, it is most logical; and, placing the mask back onto his face, he takes a seat next to his friend.

~ ~

Kirk must have been asleep for quite some time; he finds himself jolted awake by Spock’s sudden harsh coughing, his hand clutching his chest. Ripping the oxygen mask off his face once more, he swiftly moves toward his friend. As he and Sulu hover over their shipmate, they notice the spots of blood inside the mask. Promptly removing the apparatus, Kirk wipes his friend’s blood-stained mouth with a cloth from the emergency first aid kit.

After so much coughing, Spock’s already staggered breathing has taken a turn for the worse. With his hand still at his chest, he winces at each breath, even the smallest intake of air is marred by increasing amounts of pain.

 _How deep did the shrapnel go?_ The Captain is fearing for his friend’s life.

Regurgitating blood once again, the Vulcan is now quivering almost uncontrollably. Kirk places the back of his hand over his friend’s forehead.

_He’s burning up._

Not only has he suffered significant blood loss, oxygen deprivation, and a possible spinal injury, he also has small shards in both of his lungs. Additionally, one piece of shrapnel is dangerously close to the main artery of his heart. The aforementioned shards move only millimetres with each cough and splutter, but still enough to cause a great deal of pain. On top of all of this, there is also a rapidly developing infection, growing in severity as time drags on. This infection is caused by a rather aggressive strain of alien bacteria, found present on the object that exploded. So deadly is this bacterium, with the combination of all the above injuries and ailments, and after nearly fifteen hours, any human would certainly be dead; or, at the very least, near death. Due to his current condition, he is unable to enter into a healing trance or block any pain. Spock should be thankful, however, that his Vulcan physiology has allowed him to last this long.

Again, the Captain rummages in the medkit, in search of an emergency blanket or similar to quell his friend’s shivering. Locating one, he swiftly drapes the silvery cloth over him; then picks out a medical scanner, intent on finding out what ails him, and just how serious his condition is. With both Kirk and Sulu possessing only basic first aid training, and as their crewmate’s condition continues to deteriorate, there is not much they can do for him. From the medkit, the Captain also finds a hypospray containing Metorapan, a rather potent analgesic, and some emergency rations packs. In finding these, he is hoping they will ease his friend’s pain and provide him some nourishment.

Unbeknownst to Kirk, the analgesic he is about to administer will have only a mild effect on his Vulcan crew member. Due to his unique physiology, Spock would require a slightly stronger dosage of the drug than the hypospray currently provides.

Before Kirk can even begin to proceed with the scanning, his injured friend lets out a pained groan, his hand now hovering over his abdomen.

“Spock, what’s wrong? I can give you some relief from the pain.”, the anxious Captain speaks to his friend.

“...la...trine...”, croaks the wounded crew member.

“It’s ok, you can use the suit. No one’s going to know...right, Sulu?”.

“Your secret is safe with me, sir.”, answers the helmsman reassuringly.

“...thank...you...”, moans the Vulcan.

“Hopefully, this will help with the pain.”. Using the hypospray, Kirk injects the Metorapan into Spock’s neck; then turns toward his other shipmate. “Let me know if you, uh, you know, need a break, Mr Sulu.”.

“I’m fine, sir; already took one while you were asleep.”.

“I found some emergency rations in the medkit, including water. You should have some.”, Kirk advises his injured friend on the floor.

“Captain...my home...planet...was essentially...a great desert...It’s...people are...able to go...without...food or water...for...long periods...You...should conserve...the rations...for yourself...and Sulu.”.

“Don’t worry about us, Spock. There’s enough for all of us.”.

“Very...well...Captain.”. The Vulcan begins to consume one of the ration packs; his crewmates follow suit with one each.

Out of the corner of his eye, Spock notices his friend’s worrisome gaze; nay, he can practically sense it.

“Would...you like...to...play...3D chess...Captain?”, he croaks. “It...may help...to...’take your...mind...off things’...as you...would...say.”.

“I don’t see a set lying around, Spock.”.

“I... trust...you have...memorised...the placement...of...each piece?”.

“I think I have.”. Kirk makes a slight grin.

“You...have the...first move...Captain.”.

~ ~

The night shift has come and gone, day shift personnel have returned to their respective stations; their minds and bodies rested, refreshed. Doctor McCoy is once again at the Captain’s chair; no amount of sleep can quell his ever-increasing levels of unease. Aware, he is, that his Vulcan friend is wounded; yet, he possesses no knowledge of the injury’s severity, or the condition of his two other crewmates. These worrying thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a voice over the comm system.

‘ENGINEERING TO BRIDGE.’

“Go ahead.”.

‘WE’VE MANAGED TO REPAIR SOME OF THE DAMAGE TO THE CORE, I CAN GIVE YOU A MAXIMUM OF WARP 3.’

“Well, it’s better than nothing. Thanks, Scotty. Helm, you heard the man: Warp 3. Let’s get our people back.”. This is, by far, the best news the doctor has had for the better part of a day.

_Hang tight, guys. We’re coming._

~ ~

“Come on, Spock...that’s the fifth game that you’ve lost.”. There is a twinge of nervousness in the Captain’s voice, a sense of uncertainty in its tone.

“...for...give...me...Captain...I... am... finding...it...difficult...to con...cen... trate...”. The Commander’s eyelids begin to droop as he fights unconsciousness.

To put it mildly, the wounded Vulcan is indeed in trouble. With the passage of time, the infection continues to wreak havoc on his body; the blood from his multiple wounds staining the floor; his breathing shallower and more erratic, more agonising. His words are more slurred, as it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to focus, to remain conscious. Spock is running out of time, and Kirk knows this.

“Any sign of the Enterprise, Mr Sulu?”.

“None, sir.”.

“Damn...keep trying. She’s got to be around somewhere.”.

“Aye.”, replies the helmsman.

“Do...not...give...up...Jim...the...En...ter... prise...will...”. The Commander trails off, finally succumbing to his ailments as he falls into unconsciousness.

“Spock! Stay with us!”, the Captain urges his friend, shaking his shoulders in a vain attempt to wake him.

Picking up the medical scanner, Kirk proceeds check his friend’s vital signs. According to the device, and if he is reading it correctly, Spock’s heartrate is 101 beats per minute and falling. The Captain is mildly perplexed by this figure, until he makes a realisation.

_Is it supposed to be higher?_

“Spock, what’s the normal heartrate of a Vulcan? Answer me, Commander. That’s an order.”. Yet another failed attempt to wake his wounded crewmate. All he receives in response is a weak murmur.

“He’s not going to make it, is he?”. Sulu has now positioned himself on the floor next to his Captain, also concerned about the Vulcan.

“You heard what he said: don’t give up. I’m not going to give up on him, and neither should you.”.

“Yes, sir.”. There is a quiver in the helmsman’s voice.

Their situation now dire, Kirk and Sulu can only wait...and hope.

~ ~

Four hours have passed since their injured shipmate fell unconscious; Sulu has taken a break from the shuttle controls to tend to him; Kirk is now at the control panel, scanning for any sign of his ship. With the medical scanner in hand, the helmsman checks the Vulcan’s vitals; his heartrate has now dropped to 56 beats per minute. While this figure is considered acceptable for a human, it is extremely low for a Vulcan; a mere fraction of what it should be. Upon hearing the tiny beeping of the device, the Captain moves toward his crewmate.

“How’s he doing?”.

“Not good, sir.”.

Again, Kirk places his hand onto the Commander’s forehead, his eyes widening at how cold his skin is; the hope beginning to fade.

_Dammit._

~ ~

An additional two hours have come and gone; the two humans have once again switched places. Their Vulcan crewmate’s heartrate has dropped to just 32bpm; his still erratic breathing so shallow that it is, at times, barely noticeable. The Captain stares at the figures on the medical scanner with an almost overwhelming dread, manifesting itself as a tight feeling in his chest. With unbearable uncertainty, Kirk is slowly being overcome by sorrow, wondering if his friend will ever survive.

 _Hold on, buddy...hold on._ He is clutching what little hope he has left.

The only thing preventing him from completely surrendering every last ounce of hope: the very words that Spock had managed to gasp before succumbing to his wounds all those hours ago.

 _Do not give up, Jim._ Kirk is clinging to those words like a lone tree in a colossal storm.

This dismaying silence is broken by the helmsman’s voice, at long last delivering some greatly welcome news.

“Sir, I’m picking up a ship dropping out of warp...it’s the Enterprise.”.

Physically and mentally, both men breathe a sigh of relief; Kirk, especially. Finally, his gravely wounded First Officer can receive the aid that he so desperately needs.

“You hear that, Spock? They came back.”. The Captain hopes that, somehow, the Vulcan can hear his words.

Sulu touches some buttons on the control panel and the shuttle sets a course toward the newly-returned Enterprise. He deftly manoeuvres the craft through the open doorway of the ship’s shuttle bay, making a most smooth landing on the glossy floor. Once the hanger door is safely locked, the shuttle hatch opens and the trio are met by Doctor McCoy and two orderlies carrying a stretcher.

“Sorry it took so long to get here; we couldn’t use warp drive for a while.”, the doctor speaks as he assesses his wounded friend.

“It’s alright, Bones. Better late than never.”, responds the Captain, kneeling next to his friend.

“How long has he been unconscious?”.

“Just over six hours. He held out as long as he could.” At that moment, Kirk glimpses the medical tricorder in McCoy’s hand; Spock’s heartrate is now a mere 21bpm. “He’s going to be okay, right?”.

“We won’t know for sure until we get him to the Medbay. I just hope we made it back in time.”.

With that, McCoy signals to the orderlies, who gently place the gravely injured Spock onto the stretcher. In a brisk yet careful manner, they carry him out of the shuttle. With the doctor following behind them, they begin the journey to the Medbay.

Rather unsteadily, Kirk begins to rise to his feet, with Sulu catching him as his legs buckle underneath.

“Still a bit light-headed, sir?”, the helmsman swings his Captain’s arm over his shoulder.

“I guess I am, Sulu.”.

“Come on, let’s get you to sickbay.”.

“I was already on my way there.”.

“To check on the Commander?”, Sulu inquires, almost jovially, as he helps Kirk stagger his way through the shuttle bay.

“Yeah, something like that. He’s going to be alright, Sulu.”.

“Aye, sir.”.

Still concerned for their crewmate, yet remaining hopeful, the two humans limp their way towards the Medbay.

 _Hang on, Spock. Just a little longer._ Although he is still somewhat wary, Kirk knows that his friend is in the most capable of hands.

~ ~

The moment the group arrives at the Medbay, the orderlies thoughtfully transfer the wounded Vulcan from the stretcher onto the closest biobed, whilst still keeping him on his side. One might add that the two display perfect teamwork in performing these actions. Utilising a flawless precision one would expect from an individual of his profession, Doctor McCoy proceeds to cut through the EV suit with a laser scalpel. Once the suit is carefully removed, he begins to ready himself for the upcoming surgery, while a nurse prepares his patient. Together, these actions only take a few moments; yet, time is of the essence here, with the patient’s heartrate already dangerously low for his species.

During these moments, Kirk and Sulu arrive; the former treated by a member of the nursing staff and kept for observation; the latter given a quick check and sent to his quarters for some much-needed rest. Uhura arrives only seconds later, her hands clapping to her mouth once she glimpses the myriad of variously-sized wounds which litter the Vulcan’s back, specks of green blood slowly staining the ivory sheets. She is politely ushered aside by a nurse; respectfully complying, she places herself onto a nearby chair. There, she will remain; her mind filled with worry, yet her heart anticipating a positive outcome.

For Spock’s surgery, McCoy will be assisted by Doctor M’Benga, whose expertise in Vulcan physiology will be crucial in this particular case.

"Ready, Doctor McCoy?", queries M'Benga.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Doctor M'Benga.".

With the utterance of those words, the surgery commences. The task is to remove all of the shrapnel from Spock's back, starting with the larger shard. This particular part of the procedure is a most delicate one; all caution must be exercised in order to avoid any further damage to the spinal cord. There are, however other precarious parts of this operation: the removal of the pieces from the lungs and near the heart, for example. The two doctors work in harmonious concentration and patience; their silence only broken by orders to the assisting nurse, or said nurse's updates on the patient's vital signs.

As the monitor beeps in rhythm with the Commander’s worryingly low heartbeat, the larger shard is finally removed. Thankfully, there is only minimal damage, which is swiftly and skilfully repaired, and the wound sealed. The next portion of the procedure is the removal of the shrapnel near the Vulcan’s heart. A few moments after the doctors begin this task, the beeping of the monitor morphs into a drawn-out tone as Spock goes into cardiac arrest.

“Dammit!”, spits McCoy.

Immediately, the doctors begin resuscitation; Kirk is completely oblivious to all this chaos as he had been given a sedative to help him sleep. Uhura, on the other hand, who had fallen asleep on her chair, is startled awake by the commotion at the operating table. Opening her droopy eyes, she observes the medical staff desperately trying to revive their injured crewmate. Holding her hand over her gaping mouth, she tries to hold back the tears that begin to well in her eyes.

“Come on, dammit! I’m not letting you go this time, Pointy.”. The sweat is quickly forming on McCoy’s face.

For Uhura, the next few minutes seem like hours as she watches on from her current position. Yes...at long last, after nearly five full minutes, the monitor resumes it beeping and the Vulcan’s heart is beating once more. Collectively, the Medbay breathes a sigh of relief and the doctors continue their tricky surgery.

~ ~

Uhura must have fallen asleep again, as she finds herself gradually awakened by Doctor McCoy’s politely gentle taps on her shoulder. The surgery successfully completed, the patient resting peacefully on the biobed; his body still on its side as it had lain before.

“He’s still a little zonked from all the anaesthesia, but you can see him.”, whispers the doctor as the Lieutenant opens her eyes.

The Commander is, as a matter of fact, somewhat groggy from the large dose of Anesthizine he had received via a mask during the operation. Quietly rising from the chair on which she had placed herself, Uhura calmly pads over to Spock’s biobed and kneels down to face him. With the apparatus still over his mouth and his breathing a tad laboured as his lungs still need healing, he peers at her with drowsy eyes. As he wearily begins to murmur her name, she lightly places her finger over the mask, almost to hush him.

“Shh, don’t speak.”.

In response, he feebly holds his hand out toward her; his index and middle fingers extended, the rest folded over. She replies by making the same gesture with her opposing hand. Pressing together the tips of the extended fingers, the couple engage in the ozh’esta, the Vulcan kiss. During this action, his eyes begin to flutter as she slowly leans her face closer to his. Using her free hand, she softly caresses his ebony hair, gifting him with loving peck on his forehead. As she slowly pulls her head away, she makes a tender smile; he has fallen asleep. For the time being, she will stay at his side, as if to keep a watchful vigil over him whilst he slumbers.

_It’s alright, Spock...you can rest now._

~ ~

While his First Officer slumbers, the Captain begins to stir. Blinking open his heavy eyes, he starts to glance around the Medbay. His weary gaze soon catches sight of his injured friend; his lengthy frame settled onto its side on the biobed; his bare back now void of the marks which had plagued it hours before. Unsteadily, Kirk attempts to rise from his own biobed.

“Spock...”.

“He’s gonna be alright, Jim.”, McCoy has noticed Kirk’s movements. “It was a bit touch-and-go for a while... Hell, we almost lost him during surgery...but we pulled him through. Got him pumped full of antibiotics and anaesthesia. Right now, he’s sleeping like a... well, a doped-up Vulcan, I guess.”.

“Thanks for saving him, Bones.”.

“Don’t just thank me, Jim. Couldn’t have done it without Doctor M’Benga here.”. McCoy gestures to his colleague, who had moved beside him.

“You did good, M’Benga. Both of you.”. The Captain makes a grateful smile to the two doctors standing at his bed.

“Just doing our jobs, Captain. We managed to remove all of the shrapnel from his body and stop the infection. His lungs still need a little time to heal, though. The damage to his spine was minimal; he’ll need a little help walking around, but that’ll be temporary. Other than that, he’s going to be just fine.”, M’Benga informs the Captain.

“Well, Jim...as for you, you can go to your quarters now. I’ve cleared you for full duties, starting first thing the day after tomorrow.”, McCoy tells his friend.

“Thanks, Bones.”.

“You look like you could use some rest too, Doctor McCoy. Go get some sleep, I’ll look after Spock.”.

“Thanks, M’Benga. I owe you one.” He turns to his friend on the bed. “Come on, Jim. Let’s take you to your quarters.”.

With that, Kirk rises from his biobed; and, as McCoy walks with him, the two men leave the Medbay. His mind finally at ease, the Captain smiles, knowing that his Vulcan First Officer will make a full recovery.

~ ~

Several hours later, after Doctor M’Benga had kindly recommended that Uhura retire to her quarters for some rest, the Vulcan patient slowly opens his eyes. Noticing the Lieutenant’s absence, he glances around the dimly-lit room, as much as his current field of view can grant him. The pain he had experienced many hours ago is almost completely dissipated, as he shifts his upper body in the biobed.

“Doctor...”, he croaks through the mask.

Upon hearing the Commander’s hoarse utterance, M’Benga and a nearby nurse swiftly make their way toward his bed.

“Hello, Commander. It’s Doctor M’Benga. I’ll be looking after you tonight. How are you feeling? Any pain?”.

“I am fine, Doctor.”.

The Doctor turns to the nurse at his side. “It’s okay, I can take it from here.”.

“Yes, Doctor.”. With a friendly smile to both of them, the nurse moves away from the bed and resumes her previous duties.

“Let’s take this mask off, I don’t think you need it anymore.”.

The mask now delicately removed from his face, the Vulcan brings his eyes up to glance at the physician next to his bed.

“If I understand, Doctor, you spent many years on Vulcan as a medical intern. Is this correct?”.

“Yes, that’s correct.”.

“Then, would I also be correct in assuming that you mourn for them as I do?”.

M’Benga takes in an uneasy breath, swallowing sorrowfully, he speaks in a trembling voice. “Yes, I do, Spock.”.

The two take a few moments to silently reflect on those whose lives had been lost.

“Listen, Spock, I - “.

“Have you ever travelled to New Vulcan, Doctor?”.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance yet.”.

“Perhaps, one day, you will. I believe you would find the experience most favourable.”.

Hearing those words causes the Doctor to make a hopeful smile. “I’m sure I will, Commander. Anyway, you should rest. The nurse and I will be nearby if you need anything.”.

“I will keep that in mind, Doctor M’Benga.”.

~ ~

Many more hours pass, and it is currently morning on the Enterprise; the previously dimmed lights of the Medbay now bright again; and Spock had once again fallen asleep in his biobed. The night crew have finished their duty shifts, the day crew have begun theirs. Like a changing of guards, Doctor McCoy has switched with Doctor M’Benga; thus, allowing the latter physician to return to his quarters; the former now watching over the Vulcan patient. The Commander wakes up to the sight of the physician, tapping buttons on an interface and studying a monitor next to his bed.

“Well, well...good morning, sunshine.”, remarks McCoy as he glimpses at the bed to see his friend’s awakened state. “You’re making a habit of this, you know...getting yourself into trouble.”.

“I shall endeavour to be more careful, Doctor.”.

“You better. Slept well?”.

“Satisfactorily, despite my current condition.”.

“Don’t get too comfortable, though. We’ll be moving you onto your back soon.”.

“That would be most welcome, Doctor.”.

“I’m sure it will, Spock.”.

Fifteen minutes later, the patient is carefully repositioned on the biobed, with the help of McCoy and a nurse; now, finally, he is laying on his back.  
Another hour passes; Uhura has visited, at the very moment Spock begins his walking exercises at the assistance bars. As he has regained most of the feeling in both of his legs, the Doctor believes he is ready to undergo this stage of his rehabilitation. With the Lieutenant at the far end of the bars, McCoy and a nurse on either side, Spock proceeds to make the short journey with awkward steps. Stumbling a few times along the way, he catches himself with his hands on the bars. Brushing aside the helpful hands of his crewmates, he lifts himself back up and continues onward. Once he finally reaches the end, falls into the waiting arms of Uhura. As he drops to his knees, she tenderly lowers herself with him and the two kneel on the floor for a few moments.

“You did good.”, she whispers into his ear.

“That’s enough for now.”. McCoy signals to the nurse. “Come one, let’s get him back into bed.”.

As they gently place the Vulcan into his biobed once more, he looks up at the Doctor.

“Doctor, tell the Captain...tell Jim...that the answer to his question is two-hundred-and-forty-two.”.

The physician is mildly puzzled by this figure; his face changing after a moment as he realises its meaning.

“Sure, Spock. I’ll do that. You just rest up, okay? We’ll do more exercises later.”.

~ ~

Indeed, later in that day, Spock had done more of his exercises; after which, he falls asleep yet again. Uhura has returned to her station, to notify Starfleet of the mysterious object the ship had encountered. The Captain has visited the Medbay to check on his friend’s progress, only to find him resting peacefully. Kirk approaches the biobed on which the Vulcan lay; Doctor McCoy has caught sight of the Captain and makes his way over. The two men speak in hushed tones, to avoid waking their friend.

“He’s making great progress, Jim. Pretty soon, he’ll be walking normally.”.

“That’s good to hear, Bones.”.

“He wanted me to pass on a message...but I’m a doctor, not a messaging service. Anyway, he said that the answer to your question is two-hundred-and-fourty-two. I think I know what that number means...do you?”.

“Yeah, I do now.”. Kirk makes a contented smile. “It’s the normal heartrate of a Vulcan.”.

**THE END**


End file.
